CDI Urges Students to Seek Careers Advice on Results Day and in the Future

As A level, T Level and BTEC students across England and Wales discover the results of two years of hard work, the Career Development Institute (CDI), the UK’s professional body for career development, seeks to reassure those young people who haven’t received the grades they had been expecting.

CDI Chief Executive, David Morgan, said:

“On exam results day, we’d like to celebrate the efforts and achievements of all students, and wish them all the best for the next stage in their education, training or work. For those who have received lower grades than they hoped, we also want to reassure them that many options are still open to them.”

Alongside support from parents and teachers, young people can reach out to their school or college Careers Adviser to gain impartial, expert advice and guidance. 

“Careers Advisers are trained to help people of all ages make decisions about their future,” said Morgan. “They undertake ongoing training to maintain awareness of all the academic and vocational routes that are available, as well as the roles they can lead to. Most are also CDI members, which means they abide by our Code of Ethics and offer impartial advice – they are focused on what is best for you.

“Whether it’s an apprenticeship, training course or study at university, each route will depend on the direction you want to take in your career, the way you best learn and your personal circumstances. A qualified Careers Adviser can help you explore the options and make the decision that is right for you,” he said. 

As well as getting support from the Careers Adviser in school or college, students can access the careers services available across the UK; England’s National Careers Service, Careers Wales, Careers Service Northern Ireland and Skills Development Scotland.

While today is a key date for young people needing careers guidance, the CDI stresses that career development professionals can add value throughout each person’s career, helping with career changes, in the event of redundancy and as you near retirement. Career development professionals can help you evaluate what you want from your career, how to gain the skills to progress and in developing career management skills to overcome barriers and setbacks.

Ongoing career guidance is not only good for an individual’s career, but the cumulative effect also benefits the economy and society, ensuring that the UK has the skills it needs for the future. To understand this better, the CDI recently carried out a survey of over 5,000 UK adults, asking about their careers and the support they’ve had.

Although the final report is yet to be published, CDI Research Manager, Stephen Plimmer commented on the findings: 

“From our research, fewer than 1 in 5 people in the UK understand what a career guidance practitioner could offer them, and only 1 in 3 know about the National Career Service in England, which is free to use. However, when people do use careers guidance professionals, the great majority report meaningful benefits, which span from understanding a wider range of options open to them, through to being better able to make effective applications. 

“These initial findings bolster the case for the young people receiving their exam results today to look for ongoing support throughout their careers – whether that be from their college or university, the public careers services, an employer or from the range of qualified practitioners listed on the UK Register of Career Development Professionals”